Thursday, August 25, 2011

As technology advances, more and more companies are allowing their employees to work from home, at least part-time. Also, many entrepreneurs run their businesses from home to save overhead and avoid the cost of a physical office. As someone who has worked from home for the last 7 years, I know very well that there are pros and cons to the situation.

Take it from someone who knows, working from home is a constant challenge and a daily blessing all wrapped into one. I work hard every day to make it work for me. How do you know if it will work for you? Take the quiz below to find out if you are suited for working from home.

Are you self-motivated?
When you work from home, there is no boss looking over your shoulder. There is no one to see if you are working in your pajamas or sweat pants. Productivity can be a challenge when you work from home if you don’t have the self-motivation to get the job done.

Do you have discipline?
When you are home, there are always chores calling your name. A task that should have taken you 15 minutes ends up taking an hour because you stopped to fold laundry in the middle. When you work from home, it is best to treat your job like an office job. That means no dishes, laundry, or television during work hours!

Are you easily distracted?
Kids, dogs, internet surfing, television, the book you are reading; the distractions are endless when you work from home. The people who are most successful at working from home schedule time in their day to “goof off” and enjoy the distractions of their home.

Do you mind working odd hours?
When your office is at home, you can work most any hours. I sit writing this blog at 5:30 am. I would never go into an office at this hour. I make the sacrifice to work early in the morning and late every night so that I can pick my kids up from school, go on their field trips, help them with their homework, and put them to bed every night.

Are you able to easily separate work and home life?
When you work from home you need to find a balance, otherwise you will end up resenting your work. Make the rules of how your home life will interact with your business and how your business will play a role in your family. Then make sure everyone in your home – including you – is aware of and committed to sticking to those rules.

Do you have a space that you can dedicate to an office?
It is best to have a room that you can walk away from and close the door when you are finished working for the day. However, if that is not an option, set aside a corner of a room where you can avoid distractions and concentrate to get your work done for the day.

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